Heavy rain alert issued for northern, southern Taiwan

Taipei, The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued a heavy rain warning for northern and southern Taiwan as the island comes under the influence of a tropical depression south of Japan's Ryukyu Islands.

CWB forecaster Lin Ting-yi (???) said Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung are expected to see heavy rain, while southwesterly winds are likely to bring heavy rain to Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

According to the CWB, heavy rain means accumulated rainfall of more than 80mm in 24 hours or more than 40mm of rainfall in one hour.

Lin said other areas in Taiwan are forecast to experience occasional showers or thundershowers Tuesday.

He said the tropical depression system, which was roughly 400 kilometers east of Taiwan Tuesday morning, is expected to continue to destabilize Taiwan's weather later in the day, and the CWB could widen the scope of its heavy rain warning later in the day.

Due to the expected rainfall, daytime temperatures around Taiwan could fall 1-2 degrees Celsius from Monday to 32-34 degrees Tuesday, but Miaoli, Yilan and Hualien will see muggy conditions, with the mercury topping 36 degrees.

Three tropical storms in the Western Pacific -- Leepi, Bedinca and Hector -- are not expected to affect Taiwan, Lin said.

As of 2 a.m., Leepi was located 1,630 kilometers east-northeast of Taipei, moving in a northwesterly direction toward Japan, while Bedinca was centered 780 kilometers west-southwest of Eluanpi, moving in a westerly direction toward Guangdong.

Hector was located far away from Taiwan, centered 5,750 kilometers east of Taipei, moving in a west-northwesterly direction, according to the CWB.